2018 PETITE SIRAH

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Tasting Notes

Best of Class, Double Gold, 97 pts. - 2022 Harvest Terroir Challenge (Sonoma); Double Gold - 2022 Sommelier Challenge Concours d'Vin (San Diego); Gold - 2022 Denver Intl. Wine Competition ------ Fruity aromatics of plums, blackberries, and prunes mingle with an essence of black pepper, licorice, and sweet pipe tobacco. Reminiscent of dark fruit pies with a brown sugar crust. Lighter bodied than might be expected, velvety tannins coat the mouth and lead to a soft, smooth finish.

About the Vineyard

Vineyard Notes

Our Petite Sirah was grown at Rava Vineyard on a 20% slope of Nacimiento-Los Osos complex soil. The vines produce dark, dense, and heavy clusters. A VSP (vertical shoot positioned) trellis provides good ventilation and optimal sunlight penetration to grow dark fruit without allowing mold or bunch rot.

Winemaker Notes

Growing Season

Production Notes

2018 was a challenging growing season in Paso Robles. Lower winter rainfall meant later bud break, and cool weather during flowering extended the bloom period, causing shatter in certain areas. Next was an extended heat wave with forty consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, twenty of those reaching triple digits. Most varieties had more clusters per vine than usual, but smaller cluster sizes and berries lead to excellent quality wines.
Winemaking

Winemaker Notes

After destemming into fermentation bins, a cold soak was employed for maximum phenolic extraction. Two yeasts were added, Cerevisiae strain as the primary fermenter and a wild yeast strain, Torulaspora Delbrueckii. The addition of the Delbrueckii strain results in a fuller, smoother mouthfeel and increased palate weight. A full malolactic fermentation was employed to soften the palate. The wine aged 18 months in American oak, profile 61 barrels; profile 61 is known for impacting higher amounts of vanilla, toast, and smoke on the wine.
Technical Info

Alcohol %

14.1

Production

Harvest Date

8 barrels produced

Aging

Barrel aged for 18 months. 20% new American oak Profile 61 toast, 20% once – filled French oak, 60% neutral oak barrels.

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2018 PETITE SIRAH

About the Vineyard

Winemaker Notes

Growing Season

Winemaking

Technical Info